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Fan Who Was Attacked After A Game Sues Dodgers
You’re here, because you were attacked after a game, and now you‘re considering suing the team. First, I’m really sorry this happened to you, it must have been an incredibly traumatic experience. But, take a deep breath, you‘ve come to the right place.
Contents
What Happened?
Let’s start with the facts of your case. You attended a Dodgers game, had a great time cheering on your team. After the game ended, you were assaulted by another fan in the parking lot or as you were leaving the stadium. The details are fuzzy, it was chaotic, scary. All you know is you didn’t provoke it, you were just an innocent victim.Now, you’re dealing with injuries – physical and emotional. Medical bills are piling up. You had to take time off work to recover. Your life has been turned upside down because of this random act of violence. And you’re wondering – can I sue the Dodgers over this?
The Law on Premises Liability
The short answer is yes, you may have a valid case against the baseball team and stadium operators. It falls under an area of law called premises liability. Essentially, property owners have a duty to keep their premises reasonably safe and secure for visitors.When you buy a ticket and enter a stadium, you’re an invited guest on that property. The stadium operators must take reasonable steps to protect you from foreseeable harm. Failing to provide adequate security that allows criminal acts to occur could potentially make them liable.But, it’s not an open-and-shut case. There are some key factors that will determine if the Dodgers were truly negligent:
- Foreseeability of harm – Had there been prior incidents of violence to put them on notice?
- Reasonableness of security measures – Did they have proper staffing, lighting, surveillance, etc?
- Your own conduct – You couldn’t have intentionally put yourself in harm’s way.
So, the first step is investigating what security measures were in place, what the Dodgers knew about risks, and all the circumstances around your specific incident.
Proving Your Damages
Even if premises liability is established, you‘ll also need to prove the compensation you’re owed for your damages. This could include:
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Lost wages if you missed work
- Emotional distress/pain and suffering
- Permanent disabilities or disfigurement
Having documentation like medical records, bills, employment info, and witness accounts will be crucial. The more evidence you have, the stronger your case.It’s also important to act quickly. Most jurisdictions have a statute of limitations of just 1-2 years to file this type of lawsuit. Waiting too long could prevent you from recovering anything at all.
Taking on the Dodgers’ Legal Team
Look, I‘m not going to sugarcoat it – suing a major league baseball franchise won‘t be easy. They have deep pockets and teams of lawyers ready to fight these claims tooth and nail.Their first move will likely be to say you “assumed the risk” of potential violence by attending a sporting event. That’s their go-to defense to avoid responsibility.But, that argument has limits. While stadiums can be rowdy environments, no reasonable person assumes they’ll be criminally assaulted just for being a fan. You didn’t sign up for that.The Dodgers will also try to pin the blame entirely on your individual attacker. While that person should certainly be held accountable, the team can’t simply wash their hands of liability if negligent security allowed the crime to occur.Having an experienced premises liability attorney on your side from the very start will be absolutely critical. You need someone who has successfully battled big corporations and their army of lawyers before. Someone who knows the ins and outs of these cases and won‘t be intimidated.
